


The Reckoning

by happytohelp1991



Category: Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Detectives, F/M, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, Implied/Referenced Suicide, Implied/Referenced Underage Sex
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-20
Updated: 2020-12-09
Packaged: 2021-03-09 03:40:45
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con, Underage
Chapters: 7
Words: 5,466
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27117643
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/happytohelp1991/pseuds/happytohelp1991
Summary: Detective AU.Brienne is all set to get back to her roots, and to break a years-long partnership.Jaime is determined not to let go.And someone has made King's Landing their hunting ground.
Relationships: Jaime Lannister/Brienne of Tarth
Comments: 13
Kudos: 41





	1. The Beginning

**Author's Note:**

> This story contains oblique references to non-consensual sex and underage sex. There are also indirect mentions of rape, and non-graphic violence.
> 
> Readers, please be aware.
> 
> DISCLAIMER : GOT and ASOIAF are not my intellectual properties. I earn no benefits from this story.

“SURPRISE!!!”

The precinct looked quite cheerful. His colleagues had hung up a banner with the words, “WELCOME BACK, DETECTIVE LANNISTER!!” in blazing gold letters and red balloons decorated the bullpen. His fellow detectives, the officers, the rookies, and even his captain seemed happy to have him back.

Jaime Lannister felt like punching somebody. He felt like screaming, and crying, and raging against the whole fucking unfair world.

Instead, he put on his “official smile” (TM Late, not lamented Mr. Tywin Lannister), and moved towards the centre of the gathered group.

“Thank you so much, guys! Really, thank you. It feels good to be here again. I hope none of you have stolen my desk?” 

“Hey, Lannister, show us your arm!” Sandor Clegane shouted, and was promptly elbowed in the gut by his partner, Arya Stark.

Captain Selmy shook his head, muttered something that sounded like “kindergarten”, and said, “alright everyone, let’s get back to work. Lannister, come see me at my office, please.”  
*************************************************************************************************************************************************************************** 

The captain was behaving weirdly. 

Jaime always thought that the captain was a bit weird, but this was discomfiting. 

He just sat and stared at Jaime, who waited for Selmy to speak, with a polite expression plastered on his face.

“Your official evaluation reports are fine. Your prosthetic works perfectly, and you passed all the physical fitness tests with flying colours.”

Jaime waited.

“Your psych eval is good. Not great, but some more sessions will possibly take care of any lingering issues. This is, of course, according to the LPD’s therapist report.”

Selmy hesitated a bit. This was ominous, because Barristan Selmy never, ever hesitated.

“Detective Tarth has applied for a transfer.”

“WHAT?? WHY? IT WAS NOT HER FAULT!”

Jaime Lannister sprung up from his seat, his entire body vibrating with anger and tension.

“Sit down, Detective Lannister. I have not finished.”

Jaime flopped into his seat, all fight having left his body.

“Sir…. Barry. Please don’t let her do this.”

For a fleeting moment, the older man could see the rookie, the one fresh out of the Police Academy, who had been unceremoniously dumped at Precinct 99 of the King’s Landing  
PD. His precinct.

“You know how it is, Captain”. Jaime continued. “I have been here for 15 years, ever since …. Ever since Dragonstone. And she is the only partner I have ever had, who accepted me completely. Never called me ‘Kingslayer’, not even for fun.”

The captain looked at him with sympathy.

“I know Jaime. I know everything. But it is her decision in the end. Her father is not keeping well, and she wants to be there for him.”

“Where is she today?”

“She has been on leave since yesterday. You know that she has enough leave days piled up. She said that if her transfer is processed, she will come in for the handover, talk to your new partner, and take away her belongings.”

“And who….”

“Gendry". Selmy replied, guessing Jaime’s unspoken question. “She said that she trusts him enough to recommend him as your new partner.”

“Apparently, she trusts everyone except her original partner.”

The captain smiled. He pulled out a file and started reading.

“May I go talk to her, sir?”

Selmy smiled again. 

“She is still your partner, Detective. Do your best.”


	2. HEART-TO-HEART

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The two partners meet, and we understand what happened to Jaime , and his hand. It would have been such a good discussion too, if not for pesky phone calls and dead bodies.

“ _I always say a kiss on the hand might feel very good, but a diamond tiara lasts forever.”_

Somebody was knocking at her door. 

“Open up, Brienne! I know you are in there!”

Brienne sighed. Of all the detectives in all the departments, this is the one she got. The melodramatic one with impulse issues. 

The knocking stopped, and was replaced by door thumping.

“Come on Brienne! I can stand here forever!”

Brienne flung open the door, fixed his partner with a glare and said, “What?” 

“Hey, Lannister! Nice to meet you, after such a long time! Not that I wanted to, but still… Good to see you up and about. Please come in. Can I offer you some coffee? Or a beer?” He parroted, 

Brienne flushed with guilt. 

“Jaime…. I ….” 

“Everything alright, my dear?” 

Ms. Olenna Tyrell, from the opposite apartment, was standing at her doorstep, observing the pair with her sharp eyes. Brienne doubted whether anything ever escaped the octogenarian’s notice. 

“Yes, Olenna. This is my partner, Detective Jaime…”

“Lannister. Yes, I see.” 

“I’ll just…” Brienne made a vague motion towards her apartment and fairly dragged Jaime in.

He went with it, but not before throwing a charming smile at the old lady, which made her raise an eyebrow and slam her door. 

“Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, huh?” Jaime commented, flopping down on the couch.

His partner did not reply. 

Jaime waited. It was his experience that silence could be quite compelling. Brienne might not be a conversationalist (he shuddered thinking about their initial stakeouts), but he knew that this time she would talk.

“I went to see you, you know.” The quiet comment startled him.

“When?” he demanded.

“Right after the incident. They didn’t allow me to ride with you, but I followed. I was there for all your surgeries. I waited outside the hospital.”

“Did my bitch of a sister say anything to you? Is that it?” 

“No, no… I… IT WAS MY FAULT, JAIME!!” Brienne felt silent, panting. Her face was splotchy, her eyes red.

Jaime took a deep breath, to calm himself. Losing his temper would only make her more stubborn. He had been privileged enough to be Brienne Tarth’s partner for 5 years. It was time to apply the knowledge he had gleaned.

“It was not, Tarth. The Bolton gang has been active for a long time, and it was a good opportunity.”, he replied gently.

“You were right. I should have let the Organised Crimes Unit handle this one. Jon Snow and his team would have managed it. We didn’t have to interfere.” Brienne said. 

Jaime shrugged. “It is what it is, Tarth. Besides, we both know that this was personal. My father had pissed off the whole of King’s Landing, if not of Westeros, before he passed away.” _Before Tyrion did us all a favour and offed him_ , he thought silently, and spoke again.

“Roose Bolton had been looking to settle the score for a long time.”

“By shooting at your hand?”

“You got him, didn’t you? That is all that matters. That’s our job, at the end of the day, to get the bad guys. And after being so good at it for seven years, you want to give it up.”

Brienne had the decency to blush. 

“Not giving up,” she muttered petulantly, “Need to go to dad.”

“And you needed to resign to do that? You couldn’t, you know, have picked up the phone and talked to me once? Come on, Tarth. You were supposed to be the reasonable one between the two of us. You were put with me to curtail my more…. Lannister tendencies.”

“And to apologize for your atrocious manners”, she replied tartly, and then sighed. “Lannister, I don’t know…”

Jaime’s phone rang.

“Detective Jaime Lannister, KLPD. I see. Yes, I am on my way. Have CSU and Dr Tarly report to the crime scene.”

Turning to Brienne, he said, “A body was found at the Street of Looms. Shot through the heart. Want to go?”

“But why is this….” 

“Our case? Because the Captain said so.”

“Yes, but Street of Looms is …”

“Brienne.” Jaime said, his voice low and careful. 

“It’s Karl Tanner.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My ideas about limb amputation, pre and post-operative timelines, as well as about investigative procedures, are largely based on internet research and watching numerous procedural shows. Apologies for any inaccuracies.


	3. Initiation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The first murder investigation is underway. Jaime and Brienne dig into the victim's life. An old crime is about to be exposed.

Karl Tanner was very, very dead. 

“Single gunshot wound at the chest, close range. Time of death is approximately midnight to 1 a.m., yesterday. And then there is… well, this.” 

Dr. Samwell Tarly moved aside to show what “this” was. Jaime and Brienne leaned forward. 

“ēlie". Jaime said thoughtfully, “Carved on the forehead. What do you suppose it means, Tarth? ”

“First”, his partner replied, kneeling beside the body. “Fingerprints on the scene?” She continued, turning to Gilly, from CSU. 

“Two sets on the victim apart from his own, Detective.” 

“Ok, we will cross-check the databases. Any witnesses?” 

“And contents of the pockets?” Jaime added. 

Podrick Payne, the uniform at the scene, spoke up. “No witnesses, sir. We have started canvassing the neighborhood. Pocket contents included a phone, with only the victim’s prints on it, a purse with a credit card and around 50 dollars, and .. Er, a pack of condoms.”

“Tanner always was a careful guy. Pity it didn’t save him this time.” Jaime smirked, earning a glare from Brienne. 

“Have the body transferred to the morgue for a post-mortem. And let us know if anything else turns up in the door-to-door.” Brienne stood up, dusting the knees of her trousers. 

Jaime wordlessly walked toward the car, his mind whirling. “ēlie”, the killer had written, indicating that there will be more. But where, and when? Who murdered Karl Tanner? **********************************************************************************************************************************************************************************

“Ok, what do you have?” Selmy asked, peering at the display at the precinct they used for the cases (lovingly named the ‘murder screen’).

Brienne clicked the remote and Tanner’s photo came up.

“Karl Tanner, 43, detective at the KLPD Organized Crime Division until he resigned in November last year. He was working as an independent security consultant. Never been married, no children. No surviving relatives, as a matter of fact. His business partner, Rast is coming in for questioning.” 

Selmy nodded in approval. 

“What about phone records?”

“We are digging into his call and text history, as well as his finances. It will take some time.” Jaime offered. “Postmortem report reveals that there was alcohol in his system, as well as trace amounts of Rohypnol. Ygritte is working on his phone, and his personal laptop.” 

“Alright, keep me posted on this. An ex-member of the force… _No, Tarth, don’t make that face_ … he was a member, and we cannot deny it. This needs to be resolved quickly and cleanly.”

“Yes, Captain.” Brienne replied soberly, and with another nod, Selmy went away to his office.

Brienne turned to his partner, who was typing somewhat awkwardly with his left hand, and walked up to him. 

“Jaime, we need to talk to Bronn.”

Jaime’s golden-blond head shot up, and he solemnly met her eyes. 

“I know, wench. But I don’t want to call him. I mean, the department has failed both of them rather spectacularly…”

Brienne, realizing how upset his partner was, decided to let the “wench” comment slip. For this one time.

“Lannister…… _Jaime_ , I understand how difficult it is. He was your Confidential Informant, and I know you feel partially responsible for what happened to Lollys. But we really need to talk to him.”

Jaime sighed, and then picked up his phone. “Hey, Bronn. How are you? Listen, we need to discuss something with both of you. Are you guys at home now? Yes, good. We will be there in an hour.” 

Jaime pocketed the phone and started putting on his jacket. “Come on, Tarth. Let’s go talk to Lollys Stokeworth.”


	4. The Hunting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Karl Tanner's less than stellar history comes to light.  
> Another murder occurs, and our detective duo feels it's only the beginning.

Nobody would say that Lollys was a beautiful woman.

Jaime had often wondered why Bronn was so head-over-heels over this plain-looking lady. But today, he understood.

Lollys Stokeworth was radiant when she smiled. And she did smile, a wide open smile of pure joy, when they told her husband and her that Karl Tanner had been murdered.

Bronn, however, merely looked surprised.

“I don’t know what to say, Lannister. Are you expecting me to shed tears over this grave loss?”

Jaime’s jaw tightened. He was about to retort, when Brienne intervened in her gentle, calm manner.

“Ms. Stokeworth… I have to ask... Where were you between 11 pm and 1 am on Thursday?”

Lollys blinked, and appeared to think hard.

“Umm, I had a late night shift at the diner. I got off at around 4 a.m.”

“How did you get home?”

“Bronn picked me up. We walked back together.”

Jaime looked at Bronn questioningly, who shrugged.

“I was at a friend’s bachelor party. It was nearby, so when she called, I dropped in. I was a little drunk, so I left my car at my friend’s place, and we walked back together.Is that satisfactory to you?”

“Bronn.” Lollys said in a soothing voice, touching his shoulder. He took a deep breath, and looked at Jaime.

“I know how these things go. If Tanner dies, I am probably the prime suspect. But I did not do it, Lannister, trust me.”

Jaime and Brienne looked at one another, and then they stood up.

“Thank you for your time, Mr. Bronn, Ms. Stokeworth. We will be in touch.”

“Detective Tarth?” Lollys called out.

“Karl Tanner was a monster. He stalked me, forced me to go on a date with him, and he raped me. Repeatedly in the same night. And his buddy Ollo Lophand in the Special Victims’ unit covered his ass. But, I have survived the assault, and I have rebuilt my life with a loving, supportive partner.”

Bronn's eyes were red. Jaime stood frozen on spot.

“He knew I love Bronn, and he wanted to teach Bronn and Jaime a lesson. Bronn for not passing information to him, and Jaime for actually caring about what happens to his CIs.” Lollys wasn’t finished.

“So no, I don’t care how Karl tanner died. I don’t care about his killer or about justice where he is concerned. I am just glad he doesn’t exist anymore.”

The two women looked at each other, and something resembling mutual understanding passed between them.

Then Brienne gave a sharp nod. “Thank you once again, for your time. Detective Lannister, shall we go?”

*************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************

“What was that about?” Jaime asked, once Brienne started her car.

“I understood what she wanted to say. She is happy he is dead, but she did not do it.”

“See?That’s solid detective intuition. Why would you want to resign with that kind of…?”

His phone rang.

“Detective Jaime Lannister, KLPD. Ok. We will get there in 30 minutes.”

“What?” Brienne asked, although she could guess.

“Cobbler’s Square. Another body, with the same M.O. GSW to the chest, with “tȳne” written on the forehead.” He replied, peering at the picture in his phone sent by a uni.

“High Valyrian, meaning ‘second’.” Brienne looked up, her eyes serious.

“This is revenge, Jaime.”

“Yes." _But who is being avenged, and who is the avenger?_


	5. Deep Dive

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A second murder happens, but our detective duo are facing dead bodies and dead ends together.  
> Old family ties are discussed, and we get a glimpse of the woman who knows everything about a man who knows nothing.

“The victim is Ramsay Bolton-Snow, 26. He owned several kennels in the city, and was famous in the pet business circle. Family includes a half-brother who lives in Dorne, and an ex-fiancée, Sansa Stark.”

Brienne stopped, and glanced at Arya Stark, who was engrossed with some paperwork at her desk.

“Sansa is currently married to my brother, Tyrion.” Jaime commented with seeming nonchalance.

“Yeah, good luck asking her any questions.” Sandor piped up from his desk. “That little husband of hers is a damn slippery bastard. She will lawyer up before you can ask her her name.”

“Fuck off, Clegane.” Jaime growled, slamming down the file.

Brienne intervened before the situation escalated. “What does the ME’s report say?”

“Both victims were shot by the same gun, a Glock 19, 9 mm. Single shot, no exit wound. Death was almost instantaneous. Both victims had champagne about an hour before their deaths. Bolton had Rohypnol in his system too.”

“Excuse me, Detectives?”

Ygritte was waiting in the corner, probably not wanting to interrupt their discussion. She handed Brienne a file.

“Karl Tanner was conversing with a girl named Rosie in “Hook”, for the last couple of months. He wanted to meet her badly, but she was stalling. The last conversation says that they would meet up on Thursday.”

“Thursday… the day he died.” Brienne replied thoughtfully.

“What’s _‘Hook’”_? Jaime seemed genuinely puzzled.

Ygritte giggled, but it was Brienne who answered.

“It’s a dating app. You register your profile, you connect with people you like, and then that’s it. “

“Is that where you found that Jolly Red Giant? “ Jaime’s smile was downright devious.

Brienne glared at him. Ygritte was openly laughing now.

“Don’t be so touchy, Tarth. Even his name included his description. Tormund _Giants_ bane. What was he, a lumberjack?”

“A contractor. And he was a perfectly nice man.” Brienne ground out.

“Of course. A perfectly nice caveman.” Jaime’s reply was mild.

Ygritte cleared her throat. “So….. Do you guys wanna know about this girl?”

“Sorry, Ygritte. Yes, please.” Brienne replied, deliberately not looking at his insufferable partner.

“Rosie Williams doesn’t exist. The attractive photos are fake, the bio is fabricated… very well done though. I am trying to track her down.”

“Was the second victim also on this app? Try tracing his activities too.” Jaime suggested.

“On it. I’ll call when I find something.”

Ygritte turned to leave, eyes on her phone, and collided with a tall, black-clad figure, who was on his phone too.

“Excuse me.” Jon Snow said, and then suddenly blushed.

“Ms. Ygritte! Umm, nice to... to, meet you. What are you doing here?”

Ygritte smiled. “I do tech work for the KLPD now. I am a freelance contractor.”

“That’s great, really great. I always thought you would prefer to… you know...”

“What did you think, Detective?” Ygritte’s smile disappeared, and she narrowed her eyes.

“Work on the other side of the law.”

Ygritte’s cheeks went red. She huffed angrily, and leant towards the Detective, actually making him back up a little bit.

“You know nothing, Jon Snow.”

“That went well.” Jaime observed sarcastically.

“Thanks for coming down, Detective Snow.” Brienne spoke up with haste. “We want to get some information from you about Tanner, since you used to work together. And Ramsay Bolton was your distant cousin?”

“Kind of, yes. But I had little connection with him. I was fostered by Ned and Catelyn Stark, and I know that he was married to Sansa.”

They sat in an interview room and talked for a while, with the two partners asking him various questions, but no great result. Jon Snow was obviously a stand-up guy, with few faults (except a foot-in-the-mouth syndrome while facing his crushes).

When he left, Brienne let out a huff and thumped her head against the wall behind.

“Let’s build the timelines.” Jaime said. “You pull up the murder board, and I will fetch some coffee.”

“Ok.” Brienne started, once they had settled with their mugs. “Karl Tanner was a rapist. He got off, but he had to resign from his job. His career was not severely affected, because he went right into private security.”

“Rast had verified that they were not working any job at present. So we can lay aside professional rivalry. On Tuesday, Tanner’s ‘Hook’ girl agreed to meet him. On Thursday, they had a date. They drank champagne somewhere, and then they took a drive to the Street of Looms. Tanner was probably already under the influence of the drug.”

“Yes. So, it was the woman who drove, possibly in her own car. And then, she shot him. What about street cams, Jaime?”

“Tech Unit is running a search, but nothing till now.”

Brienne stared at the board thoughtfully.

“What’s the connection between these two? Does Bolton have any history of sexual assault?”

Jaime nodded, his jaw set. “He has a juvie record, something about sexual assault of a minor. I am trying to unseal it.”

Brienne combed through the files. “He was also seeing a therapist about his anger management issues. Court-mandated treatment, after he had a fight with one Theon Greyjoy, where he tried to chop off Greyjoy’s … umm.. Penis.”

“Greyjoy probably is the murderer then. And here I thought getting a hand chopped off is bad.” Jaime chortled, making Brienne scandalized.

“JAIME!” She shouted. Then she stopped, breathed through her nose and spoke with forced calm.

“The therapist’s name is Dr. Margaery Tyrell. Her office is near the Red Keep. I called, and her assistant said she can spare us an hour in the afternoon.”

“Let’s go meet a shrink.”


	6. Road to Hell

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The horrific past of Ramsay Bolton-Snow is unearthed, thanks to a cooperative psychologist. Brienne's decision gives Jaime some peace, but it is short-lived , when another disturbing family connection crops up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter has mentions of rape, coercion, abuse as well as suicide.

The office of Dr. Tyrell was a thing of understated elegance. The walls were a soothing, yet inviting blue. The visitor chairs looked comfortable, and the lady of the reception was very polite when she told them that “Dr. Tyrell will be with you in 5 minutes.”

Jaime hated it all.

“I hate this place. I hate therapy.” He muttered. Brienne threw him a commiserating glance. She had had her fair share of therapy herself, and although the process was somewhat cathartic and healing, she wasn’t a fan of the whole tedious affair.

“Please refrain from telling her so, Lannister,” she murmured, an amused smile curving her lips. “I don’t think your opinion will endear us to her.”

“Oh, come on.” Jaime said playfully. “You are Brienne Tarth. You can endear everybody.”

Brienne blushed, and rolled her eyes. But her retort wasn’t properly formed before polite lady came up again.

“Dr. Tyrell will see you now.” Her smile was practically dazzling.

She led them to a bright, airy, large room, with minimal furniture. There was a couch, a chair, a bean bag, some rugs and cushions on the carpet, and a small writing desk with a cabinet behind. A tall woman with thick, curling brown hair was standing behind the desk.

“The Detectives are here, Dr. Tyrell.”

“Thank you, Sera. Please hold my next appointment for an hour.”

As Sera left, Dr. Tyrell nodded at the detectives politely. “Please take a seat.”

Brienne sat on the couch, while Jaime opted for a chair. Noticing that the therapist looked curious, he flashed a charming smile.

“I’ve had my share of couches for a while.” Jaime offered cheerfully.

“No issues, Detective.”, she replied. “So, what can I do for you?”

“First of all, thanks for meeting us, Dr. Tyrell.” Brienne said. “We want some information about Mr. Ramsay Bolton-Snow.”

“Margaery, please.” The woman replied, and Brienne noticed that she really was quite young. “Ordinarily, I would have been unable to give the information. But death counts as an ‘overriding circumstance’, I suppose. By the way, can I get you anything? Coffee? Tea?”

“No, thank you.” Brienne replied, and Jaime shook his head.

“Alright. So….. Ramsay Bolton-Snow. He had anger issues. He had a lot of resentment towards his father, and his step-mother, as well as all members of his family. His anger for one female figure transferred to all women, and he turned to violence.”

“Interesting, then, that he chose a female therapist.” Jaime commented.

Margaery bit her lip. “I don’t exactly know why,” she replied, contemplatively. “I’ve thought about it. My best analysis is that he wanted a challenge. A female figure to dominate, to conquer.”

“Quite likely.” Brienne replied. “Dr… Margaery. Can you say anything about his juvenile records? We have found records of statutory rape, but we need to understand better.”

“The girl, Jeyne Pool, was the daughter of one of the employers of the Bolton House. She used to reside in the staff quarters, on the mansion grounds. I’ve not yet been able to ascertain whether it was seduction, or coercion, or a mix of both... but he had sex with her. The first time was dubious consent, at best, but the other times were rape, and nothing else.”

“What happened then?” Brienne’s question was gentle.

“Margaery took a deep breath. “ The abuse started when she was 15, and till she reached 17. Mr. Bolton-Snow was the same age when he started. My discussion with him has led me to believe that he also threatened Jeyne’s father’s life, or his employment and reputation, at least. When she was 17, a friend of hers came to know about it, and she went straight to the police.”

“And Jeyne?”

Margaery shook her head sadly. “Jeyne Pool disclosed everything to the police. She allowed a physical examination, and one session with a counselor. Then she went home and hung herself in her room at night.”

“Damn it.” Jaime exclaimed.

Margaery nodded. “It was really very difficult for me to hear all this. We are trained to be neutral, to listen without judgment, but this….. This was hard to take.”

Brienne hummed sympathetically. “Did Ramsay ever speak of any enemies? Any professional rivalries?”

Margaery shook her head. “Not specifically, no. I mean, he talked about Theon Greyjoy a lot, but that was a bar fight. There was no underlying conflict there.”

Brienne glanced at Jaime, who nodded. He stood up, and handed her his card.

“Thank you again, Dr. Tyrell. If you remember something else, please give us a call.”

******************************************************************************************************************************************

The ride back home was mostly silent. Brienne drove, while Jaime stared out of the window. Even after months of physical therapy, his right arm still ached sometimes, a constant reminder of what he had lost. Today was one such day.

Brienne’s phone rang, and she put it on speaker.

“Hey, Bri.” Galladon Tarth said. “Is this a good time?”

Brienne hesitated a bit, glanced at her partner, then said, “Yeah, Gal. It’s fine. What is it?”

“Dad wants to have a small party for your homecoming. Nothing much, just a backyard thing. So, you game?”

Brienne groaned. “Gal, come on. No parties please.”

Jaime suddenly leaned forward. “Am I invited?”

“Jaime Lannister? You back already? How’s the hand?” Gal boomed.

“Whatever is left works fine.” Jaime replied. “So, about that party… Any chance for a barbeque?”

“Stop it, you two.” Brienne admonished. “Gal, I’ll call dad in the evening. And I might not be able to make it just now. Things… have come up.”

“So, you are not resigning?” Her brother sounded half-amused, half-hopeful.

Brienne glanced at Jaime. He was leaning back, looking out of the window, but his whole body was tense.

“We have a case. It’s kind of complicated. I’ll call at night.”

Galladon hummed. “Ok, Bri. Later then. Be safe .Love you.”

The moment, she disconnected , Jaime turned towards her. “So.”

Brienne shrugged. “I am here, for now. Ok?”

“Ok.” He shrugged back, casually, as if it wasn’t a big deal, as if he hadn’t been constantly anxious for the past few days.

As if the very thought of her leaving didn’t nearly give him a damn near panic attack, every time.

He was content to just stare at her for a while. She looked different in the fading afternoon light. Calmer, more serene. “ _In this light, she could almost be a beauty._ , he thought, then scolded himself. “ _She is more of a warrior. In this light, she could almost be a knight.”_

“What’s the next step?” He asked, deliberately breaking the strange silence.

“We need to find Jeyne’s friend, the one that reported Ramsay to the police.” Brienne replied. “We are almost at the precinct. Let’s give the captain a short report and make some phone calls. We can ask her to come down, for a conversation, if she is amenable.”

Jaime’s phone dinged. He read the message and looked up, his eyes troubled.

“That will be a bit difficult. My source at Juvenile Crimes Unit came through. It was Sansa Stark-Lannister. She was the vic’s fiancée then.”

Brienne parked the vehicle, but she did not get down immediately. “Jaime,” she said, concern in her eyes, “If you want to sit this one out….”

“Thanks, Tarth. But if the captain allows, I would like to be there.” Jaime answered, his jaw set. “It’s routine questioning anyway. Right?”

“Right.” His partner said, but she didn’t look very satisfied.

“ Well then, no use wasting time. Make the call, Tarth. Maybe I can have a bit of a family reunion.”


	7. Tales Of Entanglement

“Mr. Lannister, we just want to ask her some questions. She is not even a person of interest at the moment. Legal counsel is not required at this point, I am sure?”

“Thank you for your honesty, Captain Selmy. I would prefer to sit in anyway. As the husband, not as the lawyer.”

Barristan Selmy smiled affably. He then nodded once at Brienne, who was silent till now, and left the room.

“Good to see you again, Detective Tarth. How are things? Tell me, are you keeping my brother in line?” Tyrion drawled.

Brienne gave a small but genuine smile. “We both know that I would have better chance of making the sun rise in the west, Mr. Lannister.”

“Tyrion, please.” He grimaced. “You calling me Mr. Lannister invokes some childhood memories that I have very successfully suppressed…. Oh, hey, bro!”

Brienne started, because frankly, she hadn’t noticed Jaime coming in. She turned to him, and Jaime smiled. Then he drew a chair and sat down. 

“Hi, Jaime.” Sansa said softly.

“Hi, Sansa.” 

“Oh, great. Sister-in-law gets a hi, but own flesh-and-blood is invisible.” Tyrion complained.

“Shut up, little brother.” Jaime said, but there was genuine affection in his voice.

Brienne cleared her throat. “Sansa, we need to ask you some questions about Ramsay Bolton-Snow. Especially about what happened with Jeyne.”

“Yes…. Um, well. I met Ramsay at dad’s office Christmas party. He was soft-spoken, and seemed kind. Dad was ok with our relationship, but mom…well, you know how mom can get.”

Brienne nodded. ADA Catelyn Tully-Stark was well-known for her demeanour.

“We were 16, and on my 17th birthday, he proposed. Gave me a ring and everything. I accepted, but he told me that we should keep this a secret until we were 18.”

“And then?” Brienne gently prompted.

“I went to his place one day to surprise him. He was….”

Sansa stopped talking, and sniffled. Tyrion grasped her hand and murmured gentle encouragement.

“She was screaming and her lip was bleeding. He looked crazy, I swear. And I froze. I ran home, and I called mom right away.”

“It’s ok Sansa, you did the brave thing.” Brienne said. “Were you close with Jeyne?”

Sansa nodded, a bit more composed. “She was so sweet. We would talk on the phone at night sometimes. I still feel like I could have…”

“Don’t.” Jaime spoke abruptly, and Tyrion looked up in surprise. “Don’t blame yourself. People get hurt. We can’t always save everyone. But we try. And that matters too. Trust me.” 

“Thanks, Jaime.” Sansa smiled.

“Yes, thank you, brother, I never knew you have so much philosophy to spread around.” Tyrion commented. “Anything else, Detectives? Or can we go?”

“Tyrion!” Sansa exclaimed, although there was a hint of amusement in her voice. “Sorry, you two.”

Jaime laughed. “How is your research going, Sansa? You are a proper academic now, huh?”

Sansa brightened immediately. 

“Yeah, I really like it. I have always been interested in ancient things..” ( _“Case in point,” Tyrion murmured, pointing at himself_ ), “and High Valyrian is such a fascinating language… It’s a pity when people use beautiful things to serve themselves…isn’t it?”

“Quite so.” Brienne nodded, although she was unsure of what Sansa was referring to.

“Ok then, goodbye. I’ll just check on Arya on my way out.” Sansa said, and Jaime just gave a vague sort of nod and a kind smile to his sister-in-law.

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“So, what do we know so far?” Barristan Selmy asked, and the two detectives’ expressions nearly made him laugh.

“Not much, to be honest.” Jaime replied. 

“The two victims were both accused of rape. One was not convicted, the other was juvenile, and received consideration due to his age. Both were doing well in life. They were approached through a dating site.”

“The victims had High Valyrian carved on their foreheads, and the numbering suggests that there is more to come. Both victims were drugged, and shot at close range.” Brienne continued.

“I was also thinking….” Jaime said slowly, “this is a two-person job. A woman who lures, and a man who shoots.”

Brienne shot a glance at her partner. Ever since the meeting with Sansa and Tyrion, he had been uncharacteristically quiet. Brienne had tried to engage him in conversation ( _oh, how the tides turn!_ ), but he had only murmured, “Odd, very odd.” once, and then fallen silent again.

“Tarth? What do you think?”

Brienne straightened herself. “I think we need to find the owner of the fake Hook profiles.”

Jaime made a noise of distaste. “We have a subpoena, but Petyr Baelish’s lawyers are blocking all requests. We are working on a warrant to seize the records. And Ygritte is doing her thing, of course.”

Brienne smirked. She was fairly certain that Jaime understood nothing of what Ygritte actually did.

“We are also looking into the victims’ financials, but I doubt anything will pop.”

“Is there are lot of pressure,sir?” Jaime asked with some trepidation.

“Oh, it’s nothing.”Selmy shook his head. “Mayor Baratheon is on the frontline, and handling the issue… well, in his unique style. What you need is to…”

There was a knock, and Podrick poked his head in.

“Sir, there’s been another.”

Jaime stood up, as did Brienne. No prize guessing what ‘another’ meant.

“Who? Where?” Brienne demanded.

“It's Gregor Clegane, ma'am. At the dock.”


End file.
